


A Room With An Underwater View

by Graceful_Storyteller



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Captivity, Gen, mermaid, merman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 10:04:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20562512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Graceful_Storyteller/pseuds/Graceful_Storyteller
Summary: Whilst exploring the recently liberated HYDRA base Tony discovers that a tank full of sharks wasn't good enough for this particular commander. Apparently he decided to show off how EXTRA he was by keeping a merman in his office's aquarium.





	A Room With An Underwater View

**Author's Note:**

> Another fic that I'm never going to finish but I think the opening scene is worth sharing.

With a cheerful chirp the door leading to the office of the commanding officer of the super-secret-super-underground HYDRA base slides open.

“Well, that's new.”

Tony isn't sure what he was expecting on the other side of that door, but an aquarium definitely wasn't it. As the SHIELD technician removes the equipment she'd used to crack the code, Coulson turns toward Tony and says, “Stark, you go in first; find out if there's anything unfriendly in there.”

“You know, Agent, if I'd known that was the sort of attitude you were going to take I'd have worn my red shirt today.”

The look he receives is the one of tried patience that resided semi-permanently on the faces of his nannies throughout his childhood. “Only one of us is wearing armour strong enough to survive an anti-personnel mine. That person goes through the door first.”

Tony rolls his eyes as he brings the faceplate down over the Iron Man armour. “Someone clearly didn't wake up beside a beautiful violinist this morning.”

“Cellist.”

“Uh-huh.”

He steps forward into the tunnel, letting JARVIS do his thing. The scans tell him that the tunnel is made of at least three inches of reinforced glass, and on the other side of that glass is an unknown quantity of water. The tunnel is thirty yards long and at the end is a large circular room. He ignores the data concerning how many lifeforms JARVIS detects in the water. It's an aquarium; it would be a really useless feature if it didn't have fish.

When JARVIS fails to find any booby-traps, Tony makes his way down the tunnel to the room at the end. He sneers at the wires leading back to the main compound; along with minimal furniture that's the price you pay for needing such an Extra office. As far as evil office spaces go Tony would give it 5/10. Once you got over the fact that you were under water it was quite underwhelming. Far too much light, open space. Although he supposed you'd need the light to see the circling sharks. Which he assumes there must be out there, in the part of the aquarium the electric lights can't reach.

As he stares out into the murky depths, the hairs on the back of Tony's neck stand up. He is being watched. He swings around to face the other side of the office and nearly wets himself at the sight of something that is definitely _not_ a shark staring back at him with two blood-red eyes. Above the waist the thing is human, apart from the royal blue skin and webbed hands ending in wickedly sharp black claws. Below the waist are blue-green-black scales that make up a forked tail. A mermaid.

“No shell bikini top – more likely a merman,” Tony mutters under his breath, his brain slowly catching up with his racing heart. “Of course Captain Snake-eyes would be too Extra to settle for a regular old shark tank or a fluffy white cat to stroke menacingly from behind his desk; he needed a real life merman as a pet.”

The...merman places his hand palm-flat against the glass and indicates Tony should do the same. Hesitantly, Tony approaches until he is able to mirror the creature. It is definitely  _not_ disconcerting to see his gauntlet covered hand dwarfed. Nope, not in the least. 

“_And what are you Metal-One?”_

Tony's hand jerks back to his chest as if he has been burnt. “Did you just talk?” he blurts out, staring with wide eyed amazement. The thing before him blinks – a creamy film covering its eyeballs before the blue eyelids descend. When the eyes open again the creature nods towards its hand. “This is a terrible idea,” Tony tells himself as he carefully replaces his hand against the glass. “You stole my question Creature from the Black Lagoon.”

“_Ah. So you are intelligent; not just a machine.” _It tilts its head. _“But I am not from any lagoon.”_

His lips curling into a grin, Tony retracts the faceplate. “Pop culture reference. Guess they don't teach those Under the Sea.”

The merman makes a face. _“Human.”_

Tony suppresses a wince. “I'll take that to mean you didn't volunteer to be put in this glorified fish bowl?”

“_I did not.”_ The creature gives an angry thrash of its tail. _“Do you also serve the Serpent King?”_

“I don't serve anyone,” is the automatic response. “Who's the Serpent King?”

The merman's eyes flicker towards the large desk in the centre of the room. _“That is his throne.”_

Tony releases an amused snort. “That asshole isn't a king.”

The creature again tilts its head. _“High Priest then. He would give orders and all the other humans would give praise to their serpent god before departing.”_

“Hail Hydra?” A nod. “Yeah, HYDRA isn't a god. And that guy isn't a priest – high or not.”

“_Then who is he? And what is a HYDRA?”_

“HYDRA is a terrorist organisation...” At the confused look he receives Tony elaborates, “A group of humans who want to overthrow the rightful rulers of the various human tribes. The guy who owns this office is a commander, although a relatively obscure one.”

“_You are saying I have been imprisoned by a human of no rank?”_

There is a profound sense of disappointment in that question. A fish with an ego.

“Oh no, I never said that. The guy definitely has rank; just not as much as a king. SHIELD wouldn't bother ransacking his office if they didn't think he ranked high enough in the command structure to have access to any juicy secrets.”

Seemingly cheered by this news the merman asks, _“Are you SHIELD?”_

“No. I'm just a consultant and convenient red shirt.”

The creature frowns. _“Are you using a... 'Pop Culture Reference' again?”_

A grin spreads across Tony's lips. “They sent me to check out if the room is safe first because I'm not officially one of them so there's less paperwork if I die horribly.”

“_I see. Fear not; I am not aware of any traps left by the human. It is safe for your companions to enter.”_

“Are you sure?” Tony asks archly. “How do I know you and your freaky telepathic abilities aren't a trap? Or that you're lying about the lack of traps because you want to watch all the humans get blown to bits?”

“_Such a suspicious human.” _The merman opens its mouth in a grin that reveals a row of razor-sharp teeth. A real life shark's grin. _“Your mistrust is wise, but unnecessary on this occasion. It has been sometime since my captors last replenished my supply of fish. As much as I would love to watch you be 'blown to bits', it would be rather detrimental to my health.” _

Tony winces. “Sorry about that. None of the goons we captured mentioned there was a pet back home that needed feeding.”

“_I AM NOT A PET!”_

Recoiling at the sight of those teeth now bared in an obvious threat Tony hastily amends, “Prisoner, I meant prisoner.”

Bubbles issue from the merman's mouth as he bangs his hand against the glass in frustration. Slowly, Tony returns his hand to the glass and repeats his words. The tension ebbs out of the creature's posture and he puts the predator teeth away.

“Can you only communicate if I'm touching the glass?”

“_I can only speak with humans like this, through physical contact. Anything not solid between us will break the connection.”_

“Not solid like a liquid or a gas?”

The merman nods.

“So how do you communicate with your own kind? And how are you able to speak with me like this? You're not moving your lips when you talk so I'm guessing it's a transfer of thoughts – but how are you able to project thoughts? And why only through solid matter? Plus, how are you speaking English? I know it's the universal language but-”

“Stark! What are you doing down there?”

Pausing at the sound of Coulson's voice, Tony takes a mental step back. What _is_ he doing?

“Give me a minute; JARVIS is still calculating the structural integrity!”

“_I would prefer it, Sir, if you did not use me as your excuse for becoming distracted.”_

Tony hushes him as he returns his attention to the merman. “You might want to make yourself scarce.”

The creature narrows its eyes suspiciously. _ “Why do you want me to hide from your associates?”_

“Because Coulson's a good guy, but he's also a company man. I'm not sure what SHIELD's policy is on mythical species but I somehow doubt it's 'catch and release'. If you don't want to end up in a different prison you'd best disappear.”

“_Are you claiming you do not intend to keep me prisoner? That you are not waiting until they have turned their backs to claim me as your **pet**?”_

Tony suppresses a wince. “Look, I'll admit to being curious and having a hard time sharing. A few years ago I might have spirited you away back to my lab to run tests and extract all of your secrets. However... I know what it's like to be taken prisoner. I have no desire to put anyone else through that unless they really deserve it – and from what I've seen so far you don't deserve it.”

The creature observes him critically for a few long moments.  _ “Very well.” _

With that he swims away into the darkness. Tony waits to ensure he will not return before turning towards the entrance and calling, “All clear!”


End file.
